PRODUCT
TESTS
Townsend Labs Sphere L22 Microphone
Modeling System
By Michael Saracino
T
he quest to build up a well-rounded
mic collection is an expensive
endeavour, especially if you have
your sights set on vintage mics of
the tube and ribbon variety. If you
happen to have a budget of $100,000-plus
and this poses no economic problem, you
then have to know the sonic character-
istics of each microphone, along with its
polar pattern and sensitivity, and make the
best choice for the voice or instrument at
hand. Since each vocalist will have different
sonic characteristics, you’ll often find yourself
A/Bing whatever suitable choices you own,
and taking a fair bit of time in the selection
process before ever beginning full takes of a
song. In short, you’ll need lots of money and
lots of time.
Enter the Sphere L22 microphone system
from Townsend Labs. It aims to relieve these
constraints, and after putting it through its
paces, I’ve found it does a wonderful job. the mic sideways, 180 de-
grees, and record in coin-
cident stereo. In this mode,
you can select a matched
pair emulation or two sepa-
rate mics of your choos-
ing, widely expanding the
creative capabilities of this
microphone. The software
itself is amazing and comes
free with purchase for both
Native and UAD formats. In
addition to selecting mics
and polar patterns, it allows
you to manipulate their
axis relative to the source
as well as the proximity
effect. This kind of control
has not existed before and
its implications for the engineer/
producer or self-recording musi-
cian are huge.
Overview
The first question you’re likely asking is: “What
is it?” The Sphere L22 is a dual-element/
dual-output microphone with high SPL han-
dling, a super wide frequency response, and
selectable polar patterns. This high-quality
microphone becomes the blank canvas, so
to speak, and pairs with any two matched mic
preamps and an included software plug-in to
emulate a wide range of highly sought-after
microphones that would be out of reach for
most home and project studios – think the
Neumann U47, AKG C12, etc.
It goes a fair few steps beyond emulat-
ing classic microphones, though; its dual-
element design is always capturing a 360-
degree field of sound, which offers a number
of advantages in the software domain. The
user can take emulations of classic mics that
may have had a fixed polar pattern (ie. cardi-
oid) and employ one of the eight other avail-
able patterns (bi-directional through to omni
with nine total stepped increments), creating
new possibilities with old studio staples. The
user can also adjust the polar pattern after the
initial recording in the mixing stage, offering
an unprecedented level of versatility.
Beyond emulating a single microphone,
the dual mode within the plug-in allows for
the blending of any two microphone emula-
tions on offer. To take it a step further, they
have created a “180” version of the plug-in,
which takes advantage of the dual-element/
dual-output design and allows you to turn In Use
In a self-recording musician configuration,
I loved having the confidence to track
quickly while being able to change anything
I wanted in the mix should it be necessary.
For example, I tracked a vocal with the U87
emulation and it sounded great against the
Gibson J45 acoustic guitar it was paired with.
When I added more old-school electric guitar
flavouring with a 1965 Fender Princeton
reissue, I ended up wanting a different vocal
sound, so in the software, I changed that
vocal recording to an AKG C12 tube mic
emulation blended 60/40 with a Coles 4038
ribbon mic emulation for a warmer, more
vintage flavour.
This kind of creative ability in the mix is
unprecedented and very liberating. If you
happen to be recording other musicians,
you don’t have to waste their time trying
every mic in your arsenal, which is a game
changer in terms of workflow even in high-
end studios.
The next question will inevitably be:
“What’s it going to cost me?” With a street
price of about $2,000, it is not exactly in-
expensive, but for what it offers, it’s a great
value. Those who’ve priced out a U87 know
it comes in around $3,800, and while it is
legendary for a reason, it has one sonic
signature that it offers. The Sphere L22 has a
very solid emulation of the U87 along with 19
other microphones with the included plug-
in, and when combined with its ability to
22 PROFESSIONAL SOUND
change the mic selection, polar pattern, axis,
proximity effect, etc. after the recording has
taken place, it becomes apparent the value is
not only in the sound, but in a new realm of
creative mixing possibilities.
If you’re a UAD user, they offer two addi-
tional paid plug-ins designed for the Sphere:
the Ocean Way Mic Collection and the Put-
nam Mic Collection, both featuring a plethora
of interesting mic choices modelled from their
exclusive mic lockers. I had the chance to test
out both and they add to the sonic palette of
the Sphere greatly.
Summary
I own some industry-standard mics from AKG,
Neumann, Sennheiser, and Shure, and this mic
does a fabulously close job in its emulations
when A/B’ed in a shootout. Even though
I often gave the original a slight edge, the
versatility of this microphone would make it
my “go to” on just about anything.
For the record, I ended up buying this
microphone, because once I put it into play,
I couldn’t imagine losing the advantages it
brings to a production.
Michael Saracino is a musician and music pro-
ducer based in the Niagara region. He performed
live over 400 times in 2018 and to date has per-
formed in 11 countries across four continents.
His focus for 2019 is the recording of an EP for a
summer release and he will be reviewing some
of the tools he uses in the process at his home-
based facility.